BISHAMPTON AND THROCKMORTON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on Monday 5th February 2007 at the Parish Room, Throckmorton

Members and Officers present: Mr D Cheetham (chairman), Mrs B Lammas, Mr C Tucker, Mr E Chadwick, Mr J Morrison and Mrs C Morris (Clerk).

The meeting opened at 7.50pm.

Mr David Baldwin attended the meeting to update councillors on the progress of the Junior Play Area project. He said the play area site had been cleared by volunteers and the hedge had been laid by members of the village gardening club. Equipment had been removed and the site had been levelled but no further action had been taken to remove tree roots etc because it would cause mud and mess at a time when funds were still being gathered and a start date was still uncertain. The chairman thanked him.

The meeting started at 8.04pm.

07.02.01 To receive apologies for absence:
Apologies were received and accepted from Cllr Carter who was away, Cllr Beever and Cllr Gilligan, who were working away from the area and Cllr Argyle who was attending another meeting.

07.02.02 To record : a) Declarations of Interest (personal & prejudicial) and b) any changes to be notified to the Register of Interests and Gifts and Hospitality:
There were none.

07.02.03 To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Jan 8th 2007:
The minutes were approved and signed by the chairman.

07.02.04 Finance

07.02.04.01 To note any receipts:
There were none.

07.02.04.02 To approve the Statement of Cash Reconciliation for Jan 07:
The statement of cash reconciliation for January was approved. It showed that in the current account, outgoings amounted to £767.60, leaving £2457.41 in the account at the statement date of January 19. The 30-day savings account earned interest of £76.22, bringing its total to £33,944.57. This brought the council’s total cash assets at January 19th to £36,299.90.

07.02.04.03 To approve outstanding invoices for payment.
The following invoices were approved for payment:

Councillors noted the hall hire charge and decided to write to the Throckmorton Village Hall Charity to ask if an agreement could be reached for the council to pay a flat fee for the hall’s use, as they do for Bishampton. Action Clerk

Clerk to transfer £1,000 to current account from 30-day account. Action Clerk

07.02.04.04 To approve expenses for January:
Clerk’s expenses of £29.37 were approved.

07.02.04.05 To approve the appointment of an internal auditor:
The council agreed to appoint Orchid Business Services as its internal auditor for 2006/7 at the cost of £110, the same as last year. Clerk to confirm. Action Clerk

07.02.05 Planning

07.02.05.01 To note the response by the planning committee to applications received between meetings:

07.02.05.02 To make comment on current planning applications:

07.02.05.03 To receive reports on Wychavon planning decisions:

Planning Appeal - Duffledown View, Wyre Piddle Bypass, Upper Moor.
Councillors noted the outcome of the appeal in their neighbouring parish – the planning inspector recommended that the appeal be allowed and planning permission granted and the Secretary of State has agreed to allow the gypsy site to remain, granting permission, with conditions.

Mobile Phone Mast:
The councillors noted that T-Mobile is planning to erect a base station and mast at Nightingale Farm, Bishampton. It informed the parish council and Wychavon but informed both councils that it needs no planning permission to go ahead. Members expressed regret that such masts did not have to follow the usual planning process.

Fishing Lake at Vale Golf and Country Club:
Cllr Cheetham attended the Wychavon District Council planning meeting when the three applications - for storage, a mobile home and for night fishing permission - at the site were to be discussed. He reported that the Wychavon councillors voted 11-9 to grant permission for all three – night fishing was granted for two years to study its impact on the area. Councillors expressed their disappointment that Wychavon councillors appeared to have undermined their own planning process.

07.02.05.04 Enforcement Matters:

Fishing lake at the Vale Golf and Country Club:
Following the news above, enforcement matters had ceased at the site. Councillors decided to keep watch for any further breaches of the new conditions and to keep note of any adverse impact of the night fishing venture.

07.02.06 Play Areas:

07.02.06.01 To hear an update from the BATVH play area committee.
Councillors had heard an update from Mr Baldwin (see public session, above). They also heard that consultation was well under way around the village and that grant applications and letters to local firms were being sent out. Cllr Cheetham agreed to approach the Bishampton village charity representative to see if any funds could be donated. Action Cllr Cheetham

07.02.06.02 To consider any action necessary to continue work on the junior play area.
No immediate action was necessary from the council.

07.02.06.03 To consider any other matters relating to the play areas.
There were no further play area matters to be considered.

07.02.07 Footpaths- To consider any footpath issues:
Cllr Chadwick reported that he was preparing application forms for county council funding of footpath work for the coming year. The council agreed he should go ahead and include all areas he could budget for.
He also reported that a bridge had been swept away over the brook along the footpath at the bottom of Abberton Road. The council agreed he should ask Limebridge Rural Services to repair it as soon as possible.

07.02.08 Litter bins - To hear an update on the replacement of litter bins:
New bins are needed to replace worn out ones by The Dolphin in Bishampton and at the Parish Room in Throckmorton. Wychavon District Council has a sponsored ‘buy-one-get-one-free’ litter bin scheme for parish councils which means one can be bought for the Dolphin and a free identical bin could be supplied and fitted free in Throckmorton. However, Cllr Tucker did not like any of the three designs on offer from Wychavon which he felt would look out of place at the new hall. Clerk to investigate costs of another design and whether Wychavon would maintain and empty a bin of the council’s own choosing. Clerk to liaise with Cllr Tucker on design, to investigate an exact site outside the Dolphin and report to next meeting. Action Clerk/Cllr Tucker

07.02.09 To hear progress about the affordable housing survery suggested by Wychavon District Council’s Housing Development Officer (06.11.20).
No response from housing officer yet. Clerk to liaise. Action Clerk

07.02.10 To consider a response to the Regional Spatial Strategy planning scheme.
Cllrs Lammas and Carter had attended a workshop about the West Midlands Regional Assembly planning blueprint which could see 20,000 new homes built in Wychavon by 2026. The council agreed to ask Cllr Carter to prepare a response for consideration at the next meeting. Clerk to ask permission for a one-day delay in sending in its response – due on the day of the next meeting. Action Cllr Carter/Clerk

07.02.11 To consider insurance/storage of the new Christmas lights:
It was agreed that the thee sets of lights – for the Christmas tree, the village hall, and the Throckmorton Parish Room - should remain in the ownership of the parish council. The Throckmorton lights were being kept with Cllr Tucker. Councillors asked the clerk to approach the Village Hall committee to see if the parish lights could be stored with the village hall lights at the hall. The remaining £25.08 of the grant could then be split three ways – one third given to Throckmorton and two thirds to Bishampton, towards insurance costs. Clerk to contact the BATVHT. Action Clerk

07.02.12 To approve a mowing schedule for tender:
A new tender was approved, subject to approval from Cllr Carter. Clerk to send out as soon as possible. Action clerk

07.02.13 To consider a planting scheme for Throckmorton Parish Room:
Cllr Tucker had asked the council if it would consider funding a planting scheme around the new hall. Councillors decided that as they had already agreed to fund regular mowing of the hall grounds on their mowing schedule, that the hall trustees should organise their own planting scheme.

07.02.14 To approve a quote to level part of the verge in Broad Lane:
No quote received as yet.

07.02.15 To hear progress on the Pershore High School consultation (07.01.23):
Cllr Cheetham is arranging a time to meet the head teacher.

07.02.16 To hear progress on a parishioner’s request for an allotment:
There was no land available for rent from the church. Cllr Cheetham to investigate any possibility of village charity land being used for this purpose. Clerk to publicise request in the newssheet/news letter. Action Cllr Cheetham/Clerk

07.02.17 To consider the maintenance of the Bishampton War Memorial.
Clerk has written to the Gardening Club and is still awaiting a reply.

07.02.18 To hear any progress on the planned Memorial for Canadian Airmen.
There was no progress yet on the issue. Cllr Gilligan had offered to arrange a meeting with those involved in the project, as well as some Tilesford Park representatives to see if it could be moved forward. Members agreed this would be a good idea.

07.02.19 To review the status of the council’s risk management schedule.
No updates.

07.02.20 To consider the latest stage in the adoption of the parish plan:
Members noted that Wychavon’s Development Control (Policy) Committee was due to meet to consider adopting the B&T (and Broadway and Wyre Piddle) parish plan as a ‘Local Information Source’. This means it will be consulted to help make decisions at the district council and when Wychavon prepares its Development Plan Documents for its District Local Development Framework. Wychavon has also pledged help, practically and financially, with the plan’s action points.
It ‘commends and congratulates’ the parish councils for completing their plans and says they ‘are a good example of how rural communities can prepare a parish plan that is both a valuable source of local information and provides a sound basis through the Action Plan to address the needs and aspirations of the community.’

07.02.21 To hear progress regarding dog fouling problems in Bishampton:
The notice board news letter had included a piece aimed at irresponsible dog owners and there were no new incidents of problems reported. Cllr Cheetham suggested a flier with the Newssheet if the problem returns.

Cllr Lammas left at 9.45pm

07.02.22 To consider reports from councillors and items for future agendas:

REPORTS

County Cllr Liz Tucker: Cllr Tucker spoke about developments regarding the upcoming Wychavon Development Control (Policy) Committee meeting (and Cllr Argyle had brought the chairman’s attention to matter before the meeting). The development plan for Throckmorton airfield was due to be discussed but a late addition from officers reviewing the responses to the plan included a suggestion that the northern entrance to the airfield remain open for access to a new link road for Marshalls, Drummonds and Rotherdale Farm.
This went against the parish council, and Parish Plan, view that it should be closed to stop vehicles using the top entrance and as a barrier to the further development of the northern portion of the airfield. The council asked the clerk to prepare a letter as a matter of urgency and send it to Wychavon before the meeting. Action Clerk

Clerk: Clerk had attended a CALC course on elections and had prepared information for councillors. She asked the council to note that she would be on holiday for part of the election process. Chairman offered to receive notices from Wychavon which were urgent in the meantime. Clerk to make necessary arrangements. Action Clerk

PC Pete Davey: Beat Bobby Pete Davey had asked the clerk to pass on news of community panels he is setting up called PACT Police And Community Teams. In this area, the team will involve representatives from Bishampton, Throckmorton, Hill and Moor, Wyre Piddle and Pinvin. Cllr Lammas and Cllr Morrison expressed an interested in joining. Clerk to pass on details. Action Clerk.

07.02.23 To consider any further items of correspondence:

Circulation: CALC news/ Community First Newsline/ Clerks and Councils Direct/West Midlands Regional Assembly ‘Speaking Out’.

07.02.24 To affirm the dates of the next meeting of the Parish Council.
The date of the next meeting was agreed as Monday, March 5th, at 7.30pm at the Villages Hall, Bishampton.

The meeting closed at 10.05pm.

………………………………. …………………………………..

Chairman Date

Clerk to the Council Mrs C. Morris